Volunteer Systems

If you would like to log on to Volunteer Systems, click on the
gold-colored MY GS above!

Imagine a world where girls and volunteers join Girl Scouts with ease
and the process of becoming a troop leader is completed in a few days
instead of weeks. This is a world where volunteers and families can
find answers and receive support easily, in ways that best fit their
individual schedules and lives, encouraging girls and volunteers to
return year after year to an organization they love.

Can you imagine it? We can, too, and we’re ready to make it a reality!

On April 1, 2017 Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey officially joined
Girl Scouts of the USA and councils across the nation in a new way of
engaging and communicating with volunteers, families and girl members.
The project is called Volunteer Systems and it’s all about improving
the volunteer experience and making it easier for girls to get
involved with Girl Scouts!

This new way of work focuses on aligning people, processes, and
systems to effectively ensure that our membership, mission delivery,
and service functions are providing our volunteers and Girl Scout
families with a supportive, high-quality, consistent, and fun experience.

Your Personal Invitation

Volunteers, registered adult members, and caregivers of registered
girls are invited to explore Volunteer Systems through the MYGS link
on the GSHNJ home page. Invitations were sent to the email used for
registration from 'Member Community' (gsusacustomercare). This email
will give you the details you need to create your new user profile.
When accessing the community, we recommend using Firefox, Chrome, or
Internet Explorer 9.0 or above.

Can’t find the email? Click on the MYGS link on the GSHNJ homepage
and enter the email that you used to register for membership in the
field for Username. Then choose 'Forgot your password?' and you'll
receive an email so you can create a new one! If you are still having
trouble, contact our Customer Care team at info@gshnj.org or
at 908-518-4400 and we can help.

Just for Leaders - the Volunteer Toolkit

The new online Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) will help troop volunteers get
what they need, when they need it. Troop leaders at all levels will be
able to plan out a troop year with dates, locations for troop
activities, and it’s all accessible via computer or mobile device.
Leaders can put details into the troop calendar and reference online
national Girl Scout Resources as they plan.

Daisy, Brownie, and Junior leaders will have even more tools at
their fingertips including a push-button year plan that automatically
builds out the perfect set of meetings for your age level. Each
meeting is pre-filled with a sample agenda, detailed instructions for
each activity, resources like worksheets and game pages - even a list
of supplies. Leaders can spend less time searching for ideas and more
time with your family and your girls! Access to the Volunteer Toolkit
is through the MY GS link on the GSHNJ homepage.

The Opportunity Catalog

The Opportunity Catalog provides the ability for a family to
search online for troops that are open to new girls by entering a zip
code to find troops in their area, or by inputting a troop number to
find a specific troop they are familiar with. Troops within the
selected radius will display so families will have a lot of
flexibility finding that perfect troop. Interested families can access
the opportunity catalog by clicking on any 'Join Now' link on our gshnj.org website. Troops with fewer than 10 girls
will automatically display in the opportunity catalog so a troop of 8
girls will display with two openings. Leaders who would like to learn
more about the opportunity catalog including changes to how the troop
displays can contact our Customer Care team or your Membership
Specialist at 908-518-4400 or info@gshnj.org. We
can help you make the right adjustment for your unique situation.

Training & Tutorials

Volunteer Systems is simple to use but we want you to be as
comfortable as possible so you can take full advantage of all it has
to offer. Volunteer Systems is now being merged into Basic Leader
Training, Level Training, and Service Team Role Training. In addition
we are featuring Volunteer Systems as we kick off our 'Be Prepared'
series of short, topic-specific webinars designed to give you the
knowledge you need when you need it most. You can find the links to
register for one of these sessions on our Programs &
Events calendar. If your schedule is just too jam-packed to join
one of these live webinars, don’t worry—we’ll post a recorded version
(minus the Q&A period) in the Volunteer
Resources section of our website so you can access it any time
after April 10th.

If you are a ‘self study’ kind of person who likes to learn on your
own time, you should keep an eye on this section of the website! In
the coming weeks, we will be posting “How To” guides to help you
through some of the most common activities when using Volunteer
Systems for troop and family management as well as the Volunteer Toolkit.

Keep watching our monthly eNewsletter 'Happenings From the Heart' as
well as email and Facebook for the latest updates. Leaders can get
an overview of why we are moving to Volunteer Systems and how it fits
into running a troop by checking out the recording of Volunteer
Systems Information Session for Troop Leaders Webinar posted at the
link below. This 30-minute pre-recorded webinar will provide Troop
Leaders with basic information about moving to Volunteer Systems and
the features of the Volunteer Toolkit as it applies to their grade level.

Frequently Asked Questions

In the lists below you'll find answers to some of the most common
questions about Volunteer Systems. We will continue to update these as
we get more experience supporting you - our volunteers and troop
families. If you need assistance and can't find an answer here,
please reach out to our Customer Care team at info@gshnj.org or
by calling (908) 518-4400.

Just the basics, please!

What is Volunteer Systems?

Volunteer Systems is the online web-based computer system that GSNHJ
and other councils across the USA will now be using for membership
management and to provide some great new tools to troop leaders.
Volunteer Systems is an initiative led by Girl Scouts USA to improve
the support given to our local volunteers so that together we are able
to serve more girls. Girl Scout councils nationwide will be unified on
a single technology platform that will provide improved workflow for
our staff, a more intuitive and welcoming experience for Girl Scout
families, and access to Volunteer Toolkit: a useful set of meeting
planning tools for troop leaders.

What are the benefits of using Volunteer Systems for troop leaders?

1 - Leaders will have a better online tool to support troop
management: from easier re-registration, to seeing your adult helper’s
background check status, to being able to add new scouts to your own troop.

2 – Leaders can create an online troop calendar that you can share
with your troop families so they are always up-to-date with what you
are planning and can help their scout prepare for meetings and events.

3 – You can refernce helpful GSUSA resources no matter what level
your girls are. Daisy, Brownie, and Junior leaders will have even
more support with automated year plans that bring badge and Journey
leader materials right into their year plan.

4 - Improvements in processes for council staff will speed up
activities that are now mostly manual, and all inquiries will be
logged and tracked so your issues are handled quickly and you get the
support you need.

5 – If you are interested in having more girls join your troop, you
are in luck because new girls can easily find troops with openings via
the Opportunity Catalog. Look at the section below on the Opportunity
Catalog for more information.

6 – Troop leaders can make sure that their troop’s adult positions
are filled by pointing current parents or prospective volunteers to
the Volunteer Jobs Catalog where they can see a description of each
role, and sign up to help right away.

What are the benefits of using Volunteer Systems for caregivers?

1 – Your Family tab is used to update your contact information or
that of your scout – for instance if your email changes.

2 – Re-registering is easy and leaders and parents can re-register
at any time. IMPORTANT: If scouts don’t re-register by the end of
the membership year (September 30th) her spot in the
troop will be made available to new girls who are looking for
troops, so please encourage on-time re-registration!

3 – You can see the troop calendar online through the Volunteer
Toolkit so you will be able to follow along with the dates, locations,
and details of troop meetings as well as events, and activities your
troop is participating in. You can also see your scout’s attendance
and accomplishments, so you can make sure she stays on track with
badge and Journey requirements.

Why are GSUSA and GSHNJ doing this?

As a volunteer-driven organization, Girl Scouts recognized that the
processes around finding a new troop, and becoming a volunteer were
too complex and confusing, and were contributing to a decline in new
members. Volunteer Systems will make joining Girl Scouts and becoming
a Girl Scout volunteer easier, which will in turn provide more
opportunities for the girls we want to serve.

Where can I learn more about these new tools?

Right here on this webpage! Here you will find links to recorded
webinars where you can see demonstrations of these new tools. Training
will also be available, so check the Programs and Events calendar
accessible from www.gshnj.org.

I have more questions, how can I get help?

Contact our Customer Care team by email at info@gshnj.org or by phone at
908-518-4400. Our hours are Monday and Tuesday from 9am-5pm, Wednesday
and Thursday from 9am-7pm, and Fridays from 9am-3pm and we are
committed to responding to your call within one business day.

Why do we have three systems?

Volunteer Systems has wonderful capabilities that help our Girl Scout
families with managing their memberships, and help troop leaders plan
out troop meetings, and manage their troop. At some point in the
future, we expect Volunteer Systems to activate a module for our many
programs, training classes, and events that we host, however as of now
this module is not available. Similarly, a camp module of Volunteer
Systems is in the planning, but is not yet ready for full-scale use.
For now, Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey will remain with Volunteer
Systems for troop management and membership, CAMPWISE for camp
registration, and eBiz for programs including training classes.

How do I logon to Volunteer Systems?

How do I get access to Volunteer Systems?

You will notice a new ‘MyGS’ option on the home page of the GSHNJ
website. That link is your entry into the world of Volunteer Systems!

If you and/or your daughter are a registered member of Girl Scouts
you will have received an email from GSUSA with information that will
help you setup your account. If you have not received an email please
check your SPAM folder, or other emails you may have used for
registration, or contact our Customer Care team for help.

I didn't get an email with logon information!

You need to be a current member of Girl Scouts to get the email –
either as a registered adult, or as the caregiver of a registered
girl. If you are a registered member or have a registered girl and do
not see the email, please check your SPAM folder for a message from
GSUSA. If you are still having trouble, contact our Customer Care
team at info@gshnj.org or
908-518-4400 to get help. If you are new to Girl Scouts, you can get
started by clicking on ‘Join Now’ or ‘Volunteer Now’ from any of the
links on our website.

I forgot my password, what do I do?

Your user ID is the email address you initially used for registration
in eBiz. You can reset your password in the system by choosing ‘MyGS’
from the home page of the gshnj.org website, and selecting “Forgot my
Password." If you are still having trouble, contact our Customer
Care team at info@gshnj.org or
908-518-4400 to get help.

I'd like to change my password, how do I do that?

When you log on to MyGS you’ll be able to choose between the
Volunteer Toolkit and the Member Profile. Choose Member Profile and
you’ll see a tab called Change Password at the top of your screen.

I have more questions, how can I get help?

Contact our Customer Care team by email at info@gshnj.org or by phone at
908-518-4400. Our hours are Monday and Tuesday from 9am-5pm, Wednesday
and Thursday from 9am-7pm, and Fridays from 9am-3pm and we are
committed to responding to your call within one business day.

I'm a Leader - how will I use Volunteer Systems?

Will I use Volunteer Systems to manage our troop?

YES. Leaders will use Volunteer Systems to update your troop members’
information, to re-register the girls and adults in your troop, to add
new girl or adult members, to view which troop helper jobs – like
Cookie Manager – are being taken by which parents, and to monitor the
background check status of your volunteer parents.

Will eBiz still be around?

YES, the eBiz Program Registration Portal is where you register for
girl and adult programs, events, and trainings.

Can I register for camp in Volunteer Systems?

NO. You will continue to register for camp using our CAMPWISE system.
You can access camp registration by clicking on CAMP from the www.gshnj.org homepage and choosing
Summer Camp from the left menu.

Will I use the same logon ID for both eBiz and Volunteer Systems?

Your eBiz account ID and password will not change. Your Volunteer
Systems account ID is the email you used to register yourself or your
scout and a new password that you will create. HINT: You can make
your eBiz account ID and password match your Volunteer Systems ID and
password – here are the steps:

1 – logon to eBiz and click on your account name at the top of the screen,

2 - just below the search field on the right side of that screen is
a link to ‘Update Web Logon Information’, choose this and follow the
instructions to change your eBiz logon information.

One of my scouts can’t meet any longer at the best time for the rest of our troop, but she wants to stay in Girl Scouts. Can she move to a new troop?

YES, however, troop movement after registration is still a council
staff-supported activity. Parents can go to their 'Family Profile'
page in Volunteer Systems and click on the EDIT link next to their
scout's name. This will bring you to the Opportunity Catalog where you
can search for other troops that have openings nearby. If you find
one that is a good fit, select it! Temporarily the scout will be in
both troop rosters, so please make sure to contact your Membership
Specialist so we can remove her from her initial troop.

Can a leader remove a girl from her roster?

No, leaders cannot remove a girl from the troop roster. Contact
Customer Care and ask to have a girl made inactive.

I ask all of my caregivers to get involved, how does the system support that?

Caregivers who are fulfilling the adult/girl ratio for your level,
driving girls, or staying overnight with the girls must be background
checked. Ask your caregivers to add the ‘Support Volunteer’ role to
their name in their family tab and the background check process is activated.

Can I as a leader assign roles to my caregivers?

Yes! You can access all registered adults by looking in your MEMBER
PROFILE and in the TROOPS tab. Click on the ADD link next to the
adult’s name, and the search field for the Volunteer Jobs Catalog will
be defaulted to your troop. Find the job you want, click on the
checkbox in the first column of the jobs list, and that job will move
up to the selected jobs list. Hit NEXT and that job will be linked to
that adult.

How can I as a leader update my troop information?

At any time, you can change the day, time, and frequency of your
meetings and the private name and address of your meeting location on
the ‘Troops’ tab in your My GS Community/Member Profile. If you’d like
to change the troop description that displays in the Opportunity
Catalog to no longer be generic for your GS Level, the school grade
levels of girls in your troop, the GS Level that you identify with or
‘multi-level’, or the troop meeting location that is public-facing in
the Opportunity Catalog you will use the Troop Information Update Form
located under “FORMS” on the gshnj.org website.

To discuss changes relating to how your troop displays in the
Opportunity Catalog such as changing your troop size, please contact
Customer Care at info@gshnj.org or
by calling 908-518-4400 and we will connect you with a staff member
who can discuss the changes with you.

How does my troop move to the next level in Volunteer Systems?

All scouts will ‘age up’ to their next school grade level on or about
July 1st. In addition, all troops who are reporting as one school
grade level will age up one grade, and will also level up to the next
scouting level if the troop is at a bridging year – for example a 1st
grade Daisy troop will become a 2nd grade Brownie troop.

Troops reporting as >1 grade level are considered multi-level and
will have to be aged and leveled-up manually by staff over the summer.
Troop descriptions have to be ‘manually’ updated for the
correct level description. Leaders can see this on their Troop tab
under VIEW/EDIT Troop Details and this can be seen in the Opportunity
Catalog.

Can a troop leader re-register her whole troop?

YES! As long as the troop is able to pay with a credit card. As a
troop leader, you can access your Member Profile/Troops tab. Just a
few clicks will renew your girls and adult members.

It is highly recommended that you never choose “DO NOT RENEW” for
another person unless you are 100% sure that they will not be
continuing in Girl Scouts. The better choice is “I’ll decide later”.
Choosing ‘Do Not Renew’ causes their whole account to be suspended.

The ADULT MEMBERSHIP renewal is the most important one! Make sure
that you renew the troop ADULT memberships AND their troop job – they
will be listed onscreen with your adults so just select “RENEW”!

I have more questions, how can I get help?

Contact our Customer Care team by email at info@gshnj.org or by phone at
908-518-4400. Our hours are Monday and Tuesday from 9am-5pm, Wednesday
and Thursday from 9am-7pm, and Fridays from 9am-3pm and we are
committed to responding to your call within one business day.

Tell me about the Volunteer Toolkit!

What is the Volunteer Toolkit?

Volunteer Tookit (VTK) is a web application accessible from the MyGS
community for Leaders to use when creating their troop’s annual
calendar. Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Leaders can use pre-configured
meeting plans to get started and Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador
Leaders can create custom year plans - all of which can be shared
online with troop families. Leaders can schedule their meetings by
entering the time, date, and location of each meeting and can also use
the Volunteer Toolkit to track attendance and the badge or journey
accomplishments of the girls.

Why don't all levels have Leader materials?

GSUSA wanted to focus first on making sure our newest leaders had the
support they needed to get their troops off the ground. Two journey
series are available as of now – the ‘It’s your Planet, Love It!’ and
‘It’s your Story, Tell It!’. This includes: ‘Between Earth and Sky’
& ‘5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals!’ for Daisies, ‘WOW!
Wonders of Water’ and ‘A World of Girls’ for Brownies, and for Juniors
‘Get Moving!’ and ‘aMUSE’. Older troops can still use the calendaring
tools and gain online access to national GSUSA resources!

How can I learn more about the Volunteer Toolkit?

There are some great informational videos on our website to
supplement these FAQs and there's even a 'How To' guide for Leaders.
Training on Volunteer Systems will be incorporated into the existing
Leader and Service Team training courses and more training is in
development! Visit the Program & Events calendar on this website
for more opportunities to learn about what Volunteer Systems has to offer.

Will caregivers be able to see the meeting plans and events from the Troop Schedule?

Yes! Caregivers will be able to see the troop calendar. Leaders
should encourage caregivers to login on a regular basis in order to
see the meeting scheduled and planned troop activities. Troop leaders
can also use the Volunteer Toolkit to send individual and/or specific
meeting reminder emails.

I'm a Cadette Leader - how do I use the Toolkit?

Older grade leaders will kick off their custom year plan by selecting
one meeting from the Junior curriculum to get started. We suggest
bringing the introductory Junior meeting in as your first meeting – it
contains basic “getting started” material that you may find helpful
even with older girls. From here you can continue to build your custom
year plan. GSUSA is working on a way to make this simpler, which
should be available soon. Older grade level leaders have full access
to all the other administrative features of VTK, such as Troop Tab
(roster) and searching the resources tab for national volunteer resources.

There are two parent emails in one of my girl’s family, but only the mom is getting my emails from VTK, why?

In order to build your year plan for the coming membership year, you
need three things: to renew your membership for the coming year for
both your Adult Membership and your Troop Leader role, and to have a
valid background check. Remember that background checks expire every
three years! If you renew as a troop leader and your background check
was due you’ll receive an email from the background check vendor so be
on the lookout for that. Once your membership and roles are renewed,
and your background check is cleared, you’ll be able to start your
year plan! You can see your prior year plans too.

Only the head of household (the first email in the Family Management
tab) will get the automatic email from the Volunteer Toolkit.

When will Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors get online badges and journeys?

As of now we know that in 2018 GSUSA plans to release Journeys and
badges for Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors – specifically on the
topics above. The other journeys and badges have not yet been
specifically confirmed.

How do I get access to the new Year Plan in the VTK?

Every year on or around July 1st troops reporting as one
school grade level will age up, and level-up if the troop is at a
bridging transition – for example a 1st grade Daisy troop
will become a 2nd grade Brownie Troop. Leaders will see a
new button on the year plan to view their last year plan and can start
using their next level Year Plan right away. Troops who are reporting
as >1 grade level will have to be manually managed and this will
happen throughout the summer.

How do I access the new year plan for my troop?

In order to build your year plan for the coming membership year, you
need three things: to renew your membership for the coming year for
your Adult Membership, to renew your role as a Troop Leader, and to
have a valid background check. Remember that background checks expire
every three years! If you renew as a troop leader and your background
check was due you’ll receive an email from the background check vendor
so be on the lookout for that. Once your membership and roles are
renewed, and your background check is cleared, you’ll be able to start
your year plan. You can see your prior year plans too!

I have more questions, how can I get help?

Contact our Customer Care team by email at info@gshnj.org or by phone at
908-518-4400. Our hours are Monday and Tuesday from 9am-5pm, Wednesday
and Thursday from 9am-7pm, and Fridays from 9am-3pm and we are
committed to responding to your call within one business day.

What is the opportunity catalog and how does it work?

What is the Opportunity Catalog?

The Opportunity Catalog provides the ability for a family to
search online for troops that are open to new girls by entering a zip
code to find troops in their area, or by inputting a troop number to
find a specific troop they are familiar with. Troops within the
selected radius will display so families will have a lot of
flexibility finding that perfect troop. Interested families can access
the opportunity catalog by clicking on any 'Join Now' link on our
gshnj.org website.

How does the Opportunity Catalog "know" our troop has openings?

Troops with fewer than 10 registered scouts will display in the
catalog with openings; for example, if a troop has 8 registered
scouts, the troop will be listed with 2 openings. Troops with 10 or
more girls will not be displayed unless a request is made to increase
troop size. Leaders who would like to learn more about the Opportunity
Catalog including adjusting their troop size should contact our
Customer Care team or your Membership Specialist at 908-518-4400 or info@gshnj.org and we can help you
make the right adjustment for your unique situation.

Are there troop size requirements?

No. The average troop size in our council is 10 girls and the most
common troop size is 11. We recommend a troop size of 10 because we
believe this size will provide the girls with a rich and diverse troop
experience. Although there is no troop maximum, leaders should ensure
that there are enough registered adults to maintain the safety ratios
for your grade level(s).

How will I know if a new girl has joined?

New families who click on the ‘Join Now’ link on the GSHNJ website
will be asked to enter basic contact information and will then be able
to search a listing of troops at their child’s grade level that have
openings, this listing is called the Opportunity Catalog. Caregivers
can search by troop number or by zip code radius. When a troop is
selected, the leaders will receive an email with the family contact
information so you can welcome them with more detailed troop information!

What if I don't know the new girl or volunteer who joins my troop?

Since the system is location based, we expect that most caregivers
will enroll their daughter in the area or school that she attends.
Because caregivers will select troops whose meeting dates and times
fit their schedules, our hope is that more caregivers will also choose
to volunteer. We encourage your troop to be inclusive, and anticipate
the wonderful friendships you will make with these new girls and volunteers.

Our troop has certain requirements. What if the new girl or her family can't meet them?

When a new member joins your troop, take it as an opportunity for
everyone to decide if it will be a good fit. Please explain any
requirements you may have – for example, if all caregivers must take a
volunteer role. Please contact your Membership Specialist if you have
concerns that your troop will not be the right fit for any reason and
they can help you.

We want MORE girls - how can we be displayed if we already have 10?

Contact the Customer Care team at GSHNJ by emailing info@gshnj.org or calling
908-518-4400 and let them know you would like to increase your target
troop size. They can help you!

What information will a troop listing include?

This is how a troop displays in the Opportunity Catalog.

Clicking on a troop number will display a short description about
your troop. All troops are initially listed with a generic statement
relevant to their Girl Scouting level as below:

Daisy Troops

Becoming a Daisy is the first step into Girl Scouting, where girls
become go-getters, innovators, risk takers, and leaders. They build
courage, confidence and character while making the world a better
place. Daisies learn more about themselves and their communities, make
new friends, and embrace the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Daisy troops
are open to kindergarten and first graders.

Brownie Troops

Becoming a Brownie is all about expanding horizons and building
relationships. While earning badges, Brownies are encouraged to
explore new ideas and try new things as they build the courage,
confidence, and character to take the lead like a Girl Scout. Brownie
troops are open to second and third graders.

Junior Troops

As Junior Girl Scouts, girls discover their voices and learn to
effect change. Juniors gain skills that encourage them to make a
difference in their communities, share stories with new friends, try
new experiences and earn badges, all while building the courage,
confidence and character to become go-getters, innovators, risk
takers, and leaders. Junior troops are open to fourth and fifth graders.

Cadette Troops

Girl Scout Cadettes meet new people, address and tackle community
issues, explore earn badges, and make choices that can change them and
the world. Learn what it takes to make the world a better place by
becoming a go-getter, innovator, risk taker, and leader. Cadette
troops are open to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders.

Senior Troops

Girl Scout Seniors know how to make the world a better place and are
poised to explore more of the world than ever before. They shape the
world around them by seeking out challenges and applying their skills
to make a difference. Seniors are encouraged to advocate for what they
want, use critical thinking skills to effect change, have fun
nurturing networks and friendships, and embody what it is to lead like
a Girl Scout. Senior troops are open to ninth and tenth graders.

Ambassador Troops

Ambassadors use their relationship building and leadership skills to
cultivate strong community connections, pursue their goals, effect
change and take action to make the world a better place. These young
women are the definition of go-getters, innovators, risk takers, and
leaders. Ambassador troops are open to eleventh and twelfth graders.

Multi-Level Troops

Becoming a Girl Scout is the start of an amazing journey, where
girls build courage, confidence and character while making the world a
better place. In a multi-level troop girls learn about becoming a
go-getter, innovator, risk taker and leader in their communities, all
while making new friends and embracing the Girl Scout Promise and Law.
Multi-level troops allow for fun, creative and educational
interactions between girls of multiple grades.

How do I update my troop meeting time for the Opportunity Catalog?

At any time, Leaders can change the day, time, and frequency of your
meetings on the Troop tab in your Membership profile.

I have more questions, how can I get help?

Contact our Customer Care team by email at info@gshnj.org or by phone at
908-518-4400. Our hours are Monday and Tuesday from 9am-5pm,
Wednesday and Thursday from 9am-7pm, and Fridays from 9am-3pm and we
are committed to responding to your call within one business day.

Is there anything different about re-registration?

Will re-registration change?

Re-registration after April 1st will be completed in
Volunteer Systems instead of in eBiz. Caregivers can re-register their
Girl Scout via their own logon to MyGS or a troop leader can use a
credit card to re-register the entire troop – girls and adults.

What if scouts don't renew by September 30th?

Girls can be re-registered at any time, by a caregiver or a leader.
On October 1st any girl who has not re-registered will not
be considered a member of the troop. It's important to note that if
this causes a troop to fall below 10 girls, the troop may display in
the opportunity catalog. Although there is no troop maximum, you may
want to maintain your troop at a certain size, so please encourage
your existing members to re-register on time! For more information on
the opportunity catalog, click on the opportunity catalog FAQ.

Can a troop leader re-register her whole troop?

YES! As long as the troop is able to pay with a credit card. As a
troop leader, you can access your Member Profile/Troops tab. Just a
few clicks will renew your girls and adult members.

How will girls who receive scholarships re-register?

The family will initiate the online process and at the “payment” page
they will choose “financial aid” as the payment method. This will
trigger an email from our team at council with the financial aid
application package that they will need to submit, just as they do
today. A girl who applies for financial aid will have her spot in that
troop held for 30 days to allow time for the paperwork to be processed.

Is the background check process any different?

A little! Background checks are still due every 3 years but there are
two major improvements in the process. First, if a new parent joins
and takes on a role like Troop Cookie Manager or Support Parent the
background check process will be automatically initiated. Second,
when an adult member has a role that requires a background check the
system will automatically trigger a renewal if the background check is
overdue when they re-register. If you believe there is an issue with
one of your troop volunteer's background check status, don't hesitate
to have them contact Customer Care at info@gshnj.org or by phone at
(908) 518-4400.

How will families use Volunteer Systems?

Why will I use Volunteer Systems?

Volunteer Systems is great for scout families in important ways:

1 – Your Family tab is used to update your contact information or
that of your scout – like if your email changes!

2 – Re-registering is easy and you can re-register at any time.

IMPORTANT: If you don’t re-register your scout by the end of the
scouting year (September 30th) her spot in the troop will
be available to other girls – so please register on time!

3 – You can see the troop calendar online through the Volunteer
Toolkit so you will be able to follow along with the dates, locations,
and details of troop meetings as well as events, and activities your
troop is participating in. You can also see your scout’s attendance
and accomplishments, so you can make sure she stays on track with
badge and Journey requirements.

Will eBiz still be around?

YES - but it will have less functionality. eBiz will be used to sign
your scout up for programs, events and girl and adult training
workshops – important, for example, if your scout is working on a high
award or you are the First Aid/CPR volunteer.

Will I use the same logon ID for both eBiz and Volunteer Systems?

Initially, your eBiz account ID and password will stay what is was,
and your Volunteer Systems account ID will be the email you registered
yourself or your daughter with, and a new password you will create.

You can make your eBiz account ID and password match your Volunteer
Systems ID and password if you like – here are the steps:

1 – logon to eBiz and click on your account name at the top of the screen

2 - just below the search field on the right side of that screen is
a link to ‘Update Web Logon Information’, choose this and follow the
instructions to change your eBiz logon information.

Do I sign up for summer camp in Volunteer Systems or eBiz?

Volunteer Systems and eBiz do not have camp membership tools, so for
now, CAMPWISE (gshnj.org/camp) is still the way we’ll register girls
for summer camp!

I want to help out with both of my daughters troops – how can I find out what my girls’ leaders need help with?

Thank you! We're sure your leaders will be very grateful to have your
help. First, you need to be a member of GS to be an official volunteer
– this covers you for insurance purposes and includes you on all of
the communications you need to stay in touch with what’s going on in
GS! Once you are a member, you can look in your MEMBERSHIP PROFILE
page on your MEMBERSHIP tab for your name – and under your name you’ll
see a link that says ADD ROLE. When you click that link you’ll be able
to see a search screen where you can enter in first one girl’s troop
to see what jobs might interest you and choose one by clicking the
checkbox next to that job in the far left column. Then you can search
for the other troop and do the same. Hit NEXT and you are now the
helper for both troops! If you aren’t sure about the jobs, touch base
first with your leaders to see what they think!

We chose UNSURE and we paid for a membership but didn’t get a confirmation, why is that?

Until you are happily placed in a troop you aren’t considered
complete in our eyes! We want to find you a great troop situation
before an automated confirmation is sent to you but if you need
evidence of your membership for other reasons just call our Customer
Care team to ask for documentation or someone will be reaching out in
a few days to help you find a troop so don’t worry!

My scout’s information is not correct in Volunteer Systems, we moved, and now her grade in school and the name of her school aren’t correct!

Caregivers will need to help us make sure we have the right
information about your family so we are providing the best support to
you and to your scout. You can update most of your family information
yourself by looking at your FAMILY PROFILE tab. You won’t be able to
change your scout’s grade level however but our Customer Care team can
help and if you let us know we’ll fix it.

I have more questions, how can I get help?

Contact our Customer Care team by email at info@gshnj.org or by phone at
908-518-4400. Our hours are Monday and Tuesday from 9am-5pm, Wednesday
and Thursday from 9am-7pm, and Fridays from 9am-3pm and we are
committed to responding to your call within one business day.

We are excited about the potential of Volunteer Systems to make
being a part of Girl Scouts easier for Volunteers, and more welcoming
for the many girls who deserve the opportunity to make the world a
better place by being a G.I.R.L.—a Go-Getter, Innovator, Risk-taker,
and Leader™. As with anything new, we are sure there will be things to
learn and ways we will grow, and we look forward to working together
for the future of our girls!